PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – Today, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis announced the deployment of 11 Urban Search & Rescue Teams to Southwest Florida. Following a briefing with Governor DeSantis at the Division of Emergency Management Office in Tallahassee, the CFO traveled to Southwest Florida to assess Hurricane Ian response operations.

CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “As we continue to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Ian, our top priority is to save lives. With the storm passed, we’ve deployed eleven total Urban Search and Rescue teams to Southwest Florida to begin the recovery. With National Guard teams, that’s over 650 people tasked with life-saving missions. This region experienced significant flooding, and when it comes to saving lives, time is everything. I worked with these teams during Hurricane Michael, and when everything is at stake – these are the men and women who leap into harm’s way to get the job done. We’ve also got firehouses that can’t respond to emergencies, so we’ve deployed crews to aid those regions until their firefighting operations are up and running.”

Eleven Urban Search & Rescue Teams are being deployed to Southwest Florida, which includes six Florida teams, two Virginia teams, and teams from Ohio, Indiana and Texas. Florida Teams 1 and 2, and Virginia Teams 1 and 2 are onsite and responding now. As other teams make their way south, they may get detailed to other incidents created by Hurricane Ian. The US&R Teams are joined by over 100 members National Guard Search and Rescue Team (CERFP).

The State Fire Marshal’s Office is surveying the functionality of firehouses, so manpower and resources can be distributed during the recovery. Additionally, two Tender Tank Strike Teams, are being deployed to Southwest Florida. As impacted areas have lost water pressure, these teams can bring up to 50,000 gallons of water to respond to fire events. Often, when power is returned fires will begin. The Fire Marshal’s office is also coordinating volunteers with a humanitarian mission to help firefighters who may have lost their homes.

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About CFO Jimmy Patronis 
Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is a statewide elected official and a member of Florida’s Cabinet who oversees the Department of Financial Services. CFO Patronis works each day to fight insurance fraud, support Florida’s firefighters, and ensure the state’s finances are stable to support economic growth in the state. Follow the activities of the Department on Facebook (FLDFS) and X (@FLDFS).